There are many of coaches on the hot seat in college football rumors, but one of the most prominent names was not even on the sideline in Week 7. The Florida Gators must decide on Billy Napier’s future, but things are looking up at The Swamp in recent weeks. Lincoln Riley is under a lot of pressure with the USC Trojans, and his heated exchanges with the media aren’t helping. The Auburn Tigers’ issue isn’t getting as much attention, but the program’s future is worth watching.
Auburn has a bye week on October 12, but it hasn’t stopped some from clamoring for Hugh Freeze’s removal. The Auburn head coach is one of the top names on USA Today’s Patrick Conn’s hot seat list for Week 8.
“The good news is that Auburn didn’t play this past weekend so quarterback Payton Thorne didn’t have to worry about being thrown under the bus again,” Conn wrote on Thursday, Oct. 13. “Now for the bad news: the Tigers are still hunting for their first SEC win of the season. “… Perhaps if you [Freeze] fell on the sword every once in a while instead of acting like a petulant child in your post-game pressers, they might be willing to play harder.”
This the type of stuff that will lose the locker room. Is Hugh Freeze just burning it all down for the buyout? pic.twitter.com/9bObtUhj5z
— Nick Perkins (@NickyPerkss) September 22, 2024
Auburn confronts numerous difficulties in firing Freeze, including the coach’s seven-year, $45.5 million contract, which runs until January 2029, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. Freeze’s buyout exceeds $20 million, which is bad news for a team that has previously paid a significant sum to replace both Bryan Harsin and Gus Malzahn. Freeze is 8-11 in his Auburn career entering the team’s Oct. 19 game against the Missouri Tigers. Chances are, Freeze has a little more time to prove himself on the Plains, but the seat might get considerably hotter if Auburn’s season does not improve quickly.
